Cristian Minoggio wins 108km CCC trail race as weather delays UTMB start in Chamonix

Minoggio secures CCC victory with solo break

Italian trail runner Cristian Minoggio won the CCC on Friday, 28 August 2026, finishing the course in 10 hours, 21 minutes, and 48 seconds of continuous physical effort. The 42-year-old athlete secured first place with an advantage of more than 5 minutes ahead of his closest pursuer. Minoggio established his decisive advantage at the Trient aid station, where he took command of the front of the race. From that mountain checkpoint onward, he ran the final 25 kilometres of the course in solitaire without relinquishing the lead. The victory marked a successful return for Minoggio, who finished as runner-up in the shorter OCC event during the previous year's competition.

Podium results and mountain conditions along the 108km course

The CCC serves as one of the auxiliary races of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc week, covering a distance of 108 kilometres and requiring 6,200 metres of positive elevation gain. The international course departs from the Italian municipality of Courmayeur, passes through Champex-Lac in Switzerland, and concludes in Chamonix, France. Competitors ran through persistent rain over the alpine mountain trails. Portugal's Miguel Arsenio crossed the finish line in second place behind Minoggio, while Hans Troyer of the United States secured third place to complete the men's podium. Minoggio arrived in Chamonix visibly emotional, where he was greeted by a dense crowd of spectators lining the streets.

Weather delays start of 23rd UTMB main race

The conclusion of the CCC in central Chamonix overlapped directly with preparations for the UTMB main race, the 174-kilometre flagship ultra-endurance event of the week that includes 10,000 metres of positive elevation gain. Organizers had originally scheduled the start of the 23rd edition of the UTMB for 17:45 on Friday afternoon. Adverse weather conditions, categorized by event officials as an active storm episode, forced a two-hour postponement of the departure. The two-hour delay shifted the start to 19:45, allowing the severe weather front to subside and timing the launch just after the first CCC finishers arrived at the finish area.

Mass departure in Chamonix and ongoing race projections

A contingent of 2,500 runners gathered under the starting arch in Chamonix for the delayed launch of the 23rd edition of the UTMB. Before setting off on their own journey across France, Italy, and Switzerland, the assembled mass of runners offered a long round of applause for Minoggio under the finish arch. The delayed start allowed the large field to set out safely onto the trails around the Mont Blanc massif once the storm cleared. At the same time, competition in the CCC continued across the remaining segments of the course, with the leading female runner scheduled to arrive at the Chamonix finish line at approximately 21:00 on Friday night.